Violin mute and amplifying device



Jan. 21, 1941. M. RICE VIOLIN MUTE AND AMPLIFYING DEVICE Fileddune l, 1939 AMPLIFlER lNvENToR Max fj/c ATTO R N EYS Patented Jan. 21, 17941 I i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIOLIN MUTE AND AMPLIFYING DEVICE Max Rice, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application June 1, 1939, Serial No. 276,887

1 Claim. (Cl. SLi-1.16)

This invention relates to a violin mute and In the accompanying drawing forming part amplifying device and has for an object to proof this specification, vide apparatus of this type for promoting violin Figure 1 is a fragmentary Side elevatiOn 0f a practice Without disturbing others. violin equipped with a violin mute and amplifying Consistently regular practice upon a musical device constructed in accordance with the in- 5 instrument is essential to the maintenance of the VentIOn.

ability of a musical student, performer or Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the violin bridge amateur, and since such persons are ethically reandombmfd mute and lect' 10951 plckup deV1Cequired to confine their practice sessions to com- Flgure 3 1S a CTOSS Sectonal VleW taken 0n the pliance with the comfort and habits of those un? 3-j3 0 f Figure With the electrical PCklD 10 about them, they must, in doing so, sacrifice devlce 1n 51de elevmilon- Whatever ability might have been gained by an g Figure 4 is a ffaglentaiy P1311 VfiW O the VO- Otherwise free indu1gen 11n .mute and electrlcal pickup devlce in applied Heretofore, when one desired to play or pracpompon Onlhe budge of the 710.11m-

ln tice Stringed instruments, Such as a violn for F1gure 5 1s a cross sectional view taken on the 15 example it was necessary to use a type of mute line 5 5 of Figure 4 with the bridge and strings designed only to deaden and diminish the sound removed' volume of the instrument. However, the player, Flgure 6 1S a longnfudmat sectional Vlew of a in doing so, has no means whereby he might be moqled fom of we mvenlon' o o Conscious of a proper Volume of Sound and there Figure 7 is a detail sectional View of another dO modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various Views, I0 designates a violin, I I the violin bridge, and I2 the violin strings, these 25 parts being conventional.

In carrying out the invention, a two-piece casing I3 of substantially rectangular cross section, as shown in Figure 5, and of substantially e1- liptical longitudinal section, as shown in Figure 3, is provided. The sections of the casing are flanged, as shown at 8 in Figure 4 and secured together through the medium of screws I4 passed through the flanges, as shown in Figure 5. Both sections of the casing are lined with sheet rubber 9. The lower section I5 of the casing is provided at the bottom front portion thereof with L a preferably three forks I6 of sturdy construction 60H31 pinches aS lie PfatlCeS- adapted to be placed astride of the bridge II of To this end the lnVeIlllOIl @Ontemplates a mute the violin and form a mute in the conventional associated with an electrical pickup device, adaptmanner- These forks support the casing |3 to ed to be clamped U0 the blldge 0f the Violin, the extend horizontally rearwardly from the bridge pickup absorbing and transmitting the dimntoward the tailpiece 'I of the violin so as to be ished volume of tone to an amplifying device to out of the way of the bow, when the violin is by fails to properly and cautiously guide the intonation of his playing. Also he fails to exercise bow control and Volume control due to the inaudibility of his practicing, thus, he might be L permitting scratching effects to be executed without realizing it. This, heretofore, has seriously interfered with development and furtherance of bow control. This is a serious handicap in his endeavor to gain, by his practice, additional skill "d in the art.

With the above in mind the present invention provides means whereby, While the practicing may not be appreciably audible to others, it may be audible in natural volume to the performer, thereby enabling him to practice at any time, regardless of conditions without disturbing anyone, and yet be fully aware to the utmost of y, which is attached head phones to be worn by the played. i" player to enable him to hear the musical volume A conventional electrical magnetic pickup 5, of as near as possible in the natural state. the type used in connection with reproducing With the above and other objects in View the phonograph records, is housed in the casing I3. invention consists of certain novel details of The shell of the pickup is provided at the rear construction and combinations of parts hereinend with lugs II which receive pivot pins I8 50 after fully described and claimed, it being unpassed through the sides of the lower section I5 derstood that various modifications may be reof the housing at the rear end thereof, as best sorted to within the scope of the appended claims shown in Figures 3 and 4. The conventional without departing from the spirit or sacrificing needle I9 of the pickup device extends downany of the advantages of the invention. Wardly and forwardly from the front end of the Cil lvolume.

shell of the device and projects through an opening 2Q in the centermost fork I6 of the mute to engage the top edge of the bridge H when the mute is in applied position.

The needle is yieldably held in engagement with the bridge through the medium of a helical spring 2l which is seated in an opening 22 formed in the top Wall of the upper section of the housing I3. The spring bears at one end against an adjusting screw plug 23 which seals the opening, and at the other end bears against a boss 2li on the pickup shell as best shown in Figure 3.

The housing is provided in the rear wall with a pair of openings 25, best shown in Figure 2, through which circuit wires 26 are carried from the pickup device to the input of a conventional amplier 2. A pair of conventional head phones 2S are connected by wires 29 to the output of the amplier.

In operation, the player wears the head phones in a conventional manner and the violin is played with the forks I6 of the mute rmly engaged astrid-e the violin bridge and the needle l@ yieldably engaging the top edge of the bridge. The dampened vibrations of the muted strings set up electrical impulses in the electrical pickup device B. These impulses are fed to the transformer and there amplified and then passed on to the head phones and there changed to audio frequency. The amplication is such that notes barely audible to nearby listeners will be audible to the player through the head phones in natural The player is thus enabled to practice at any time, regardless of conditions, Without disturbing anyone, and yet be fully aware to the ute most of tonal pitches as he practices.

In Figure 6 is shown a modiied form of mute comprising a casing 3l) having formed integrally therewith forks 3| adapted to be placed astride the bridge of the violin and form a mute. An electrical pickup 32 of conventional type is disposed in the casing and the needle 33 is disposed horizontally and touches the casing at the front end thereof. A rubber or similar packing strip 3Q encircles the casing and insulates the pickup against the vibrations undergone by the rest of the mute. The needle, therefore, Will be the sole conveyor of vibrations to the pickup.

In Figure 7 there is shown another modified form of mute comprising a casing 35 which houses a permanent magnet 36 having pole pieces 31 provided with aligned recesses 38 to receive a coil 39 which is insulated against contact with all the metal surrounding it. The coil is of the conventional type used in electrical pickups and is fixed to the pole pieces 31. A spring wire 40 passes through the coil without touching the coil and projects into the permanent magnet. The Wire is connected at its base end to the casing and is provided at the free end with a weight in the form of a ball 4 l The casing 35 is formed integral with a mute 42 constructed as previously described. The Vibrations of the violin bridge are transmitted from the mute to the casing 35 and thence to the magnet 36. In this form of the invention, the wire vibrate-s or counter moves in opposition to the vibrations undergone by the coil and the rest of the mute and pickup mechanism.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

A device for promoting stringed instrument practice comprising a fork forming a mute, a casing carried by the mute, a permanent magnet in the casing in contact therewith and receiving vibrations therefrom, pole pieces for the magnet,

a coil received in the pole pieces, and a needle 

